In announcing his candidacy for president Wednesday, Vermont Sen. Bernie Sanders, an independent, said, “People should not underestimate me. I’ve run outside of the two-party system, defeating Democrats and Republicans, taking on big-money candidates and, you know, I think the message that has resonated in Vermont is a message that can resonate all over this country.”

Sanders is the first major challenger to enter the race against Hilary Clinton, who earlier this month became the first Democrat to formally declare her intention to run for president. He is likely to be joined in the coming months by former Maryland Gov. Martin O’Malley, former Virginia Sen. Jim Webb and ex-Rhode Island Gov. Lincoln Chafee.

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I hope its Clinton, or Bush. The office should pass between family members more often, and it’s been a while since one of those names graced the office.

Gary F

If Clinton is not challenged by someone with a credible chance of winning, (sorry Sanders), like O’Malley or Warren, then it will be the Republican team no matter who they run.

Ultimately, Walker/Rubio is my bet.

Just not sure how long Clinton can go with all the news about Pacific Rubiales,Uranium One, e-mail server, Benghazi, etc. Are the Dems afraid to tell her no?

Dave M

Yeah, you’re right. All those non-scandals that no one cares about will surely bring her down.

bob hicks

It would be highly interesting if Saunders won, but in our wonderful corpocracy, he hasn’t got a snowball’s chance. Hillary and Jeb will duke it out, and a couple of billion dollars later, we’ll be back in dynasty land.

John Dilligaf

Highly interesting should be capped at the gubernatorial level, e.g. Jesse Ventura. I want solid and stable in the white house.

That being said, it’s still too early to say who will end up in the white house. At this point in 2007, most people had never even heard the name Barack Hussein Obama.

Rich in Duluth

As much as I would like a person like Warren or Sanders to become President, I think Clinton, being the most electable Democrat, will win. With Congress in the hands of the Republicans, Democrats will be motivated to show up and vote.

Jim G

Clinton… even though more than a billion dollars will be spent in a vain effort to defeat her. Democrats will turn out for the presidential election, too bad they don’t turn out in off-year elections.

John Dilligaf

No, it’s actually a good thing. Power divided is power checked.

Pearly

Only because more than a billion dollars will be spent in a vain effort to get her elected.
What difference, at this point does it make?

a_tribe_called_chris

I really like Sanders but I could handle Clinton as well.

kevins

I despise the dynasty or “next in line” mentalities, but experience is worth something, so I’m thinking Clinton, especially given the lack of synchrony with my beliefs from most of the republican candidates.

Ulysses Tennyson

No worries, mate. Just reset your watch to 1898 and you’ll find a brownfield of real daisies to pick from. As for experience, what’s wrong with Nancy Reagan? She brings eight years in the White House and a personal astrologer to boot. Hard to beat a team like that one. As for meself I’m far to morose to even think about politics. Earl Scheib, my personal choice for years, has become a forgotten name. Sad that his voice is no longer heard and his face unfamiliar to a generation. The thought does weigh on me. And this very morning I learn that Jack Ely is no longer with us. Where have all the heroes gone? I ask you.

lindblomeagles

This is a tremendous question. Very difficult to know, for sure. Hillary (first lady, senator, secretary of state) on paper has the most experience; however, since Nixon, only Vice President George H. W. Bush had experience. Ronald Reagan, George W. Bush, and Bill Clinton were Governors, while Jimmy Carter, Barack Obama, and Gerald Ford were Senators. Recall the 2000 election when the more experienced candidate, Al Gore, lost to the lesser experienced candidate George W. Bush. Moreover, Americans seem to want ALL of its women leaders to physically appear and sound like female celebrities in addition to being smart. Although very intelligent, Hillary doesn’t appear overly attractive nor does she putz around with “bubbly talk.” She gets straight to the point, like mom does when you’ve done something wrong, and you know you were wrong. We should really admire that in a woman, but all too frequently Americans don’t. Jeb Bush would appear to be the next best candidate given his father and brother have been U.S. Presidents. The problem is Jeb has rebuffed running for the White House in the past, and neither Bush President finished with high approval ratings. Jeb’s brother, in particular, really tumbled during his final year, overseeing the Great Recession, a highly unpopular Iraq War, and an equally unpopular amnesty bill reforming illegal immigration. Sanders is older than both Bush and Clinton. Can’t see him winning. Damn near every Republican running in 2016 has rather large baggage attached to them. If I had to say at this moment, who the lead dog is, I’d probably say Wisconsin Governor Scott Walker, not because of his acumen (job growth record is not good at all), but because he’s generally had success against the one thing a majority of Americans do not favor, and that’s unionism.

whitedoggie44

anyone who can do the math and understand their are not enough “rich” to pay for all the programs demanded by the radical left. We have spend more than 50 trillion to eradicate poverty since 1965 and all we have are entrenched bureaucracy whose livilihood depends on poverty programs. Bernie Sanders always looks angry.

Ralphy

Rand Paul claimed it was $15 Trillion, and he got busted by Fact Check for inflating the numbers. $50 Trillion is the Fox News / Washington Times number – two always reliable sources for misinformation. Much of war on poverty money is not intended to eradicate poverty, but rather to keep people from falling into the abyss.

We spend anywhere from 2 x to 10 X (during war years) that much on the military. Still haven’t found peace.

It all depends on how you count poverty programs but mydata was pulled from the Rand corp which is usually accurate without much bias. It still has solved nothing as the moocher class continue to grow, much to the delight of democrats. Yea. We spent too much in the 1980’s on war or as the left says, better red then dead.

whitedoggie44

My mistake, it was $22 trillion since 1964 and is 3 times the cost of all wars in US history. Excludes social security and medicare.

Ralphy

I hope it is somebody with at least a 4 year college degree and at least a 3.0 GPA…

If history is any guide, it’ll be whoever is most able to dupe the most voters.

Matt K

Jon Kasich, Ohio Gov (R)

As a left leaning independent, I’d say he’s the only major Republican with enough electability to win the general election. He’s quite popular in his home state which is a major battleground for electoral votes. I predict Clinton will have a hard time mobilizing the liberal base like Obama did, and the general sense of inevitability (right or wrong) will turn off independent minded moderates.

Pearly

The Clinton Foundation donors. Or better yet…. Marco Rubio

Gordon near Two Harbors

Hillary Clinton is probably the most qualified–and would likely make a decent president– BUT, I think she might not be electable and may actually “shoot herself in the foot” during her campaign, like Al Gore did during his.

Most of the Republican candidates are also unelectable, as lunatics like Walker and Cruz only appeal to the fringes of society.

That leaves Jeb Bush as a highly viable candidate–if he can survive the rednecks, closet Nazis, and Bible bangers who control the reins of the Republican Party.

Justin Wood

My vote goes to the one who wants to talk about the real reasons our democracy is in jeopardy. Seems like the only one in that category is Bernie Sanders. He’s got a platform that is neither democrat or republican, but is populist and middle class centered. Go Bernie!

EdBradly7

My money (25 cents) is on Piyush Jindal the Governor of Louisiana. He will emerge from the packed Teapublican short bus of 2016 Regressive Party Presidential Candidate Clowns to take on Hilary. I am confident the racist, old, angry, knuckle dragging, mouthbreating, ignorant, Lilly White, xenophobes and homophobes that control the Teapublican Party, will have the courage to nominate a brown Presidential candidate, who’s first name is Piyush. As Madonna once said “That will happen when monkey’s come flying out my butt.”

marrianah

Hillary would be good because then the Republican will win. Hillary has NO accomplishments of any worth as Secretary of State..what has she accomplished but aided the middle east crisis and made millions off her foreign country fund raising foundation? She has NO track record other than to defy congress supoenas, destroys evidence from her personal server, defies the rules and lies to the media..no one with an IQ above 85 and reads has any trust in her.
Warren is just in between Hillary and Sanders the socialist…another angry old woman with no leadership experience. Obama was like that and look what he has done to make the world a safer place?..ISIS and Hamas and Boko Harum has tripled in size and has killed over 156,000, muslims and Christians! Leading from behind is what Obama calls his lack of action_ Leading from behind is what sodomists do..ouch!

Sierra

I would support Hillary all the way. She’s a true icon to women everywhere, and I feel she’s one of the very few people in Washington with common sense. For any of you saying she has “aided the middle east crisis” like Marrianah… George Bush became president and was re-elected despite his addiction to oil that supported Mideast terror. Their foundation is to help people around the world. It’s doing exactly that. Usually, presidents don’t create foundations to benefit impoverished children, women, and education. And then you have the nerve to say “making millions” off of it?

Scott

The only think that’s guaranteed is that I will be thoroughly disgusted with both the process and the outcome.